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International cooperation for sustainability in higher education

MDU has created an international course and a cooperative partnership jointly with other universities on the transformation of higher education didactics. The course is called HEDS – Higher Education Didactics for Sustainability – and is one of the courses for Higher Education Teaching and Learning at MDU.

The course HEDS was given for the third time during spring 2024, with the biggest group of participants this far. A pilot of the course first started in wither 2022. Since then has the interest for the course continuously grown.

We wanted to create a course for teachers, to give them an understanding of how they can change teaching so that they, in turn, can give future students the agency they need around sustainability, says Lotta Fröjdfeldt, Lecturer and Developer of Higher Education Pedagogy and initiator of the course HEDS.

The course has been created by educational developers from various universities with the purpose to strengthen the ability of teachers, developers of higher education pedagogy and others involved in course planning to integrate sustainability within education.

The course and the cooperation began in frustration about why we are not doing more in this urgent situation, but also with the insight of what we can achieve together. During our cooperation, it has become clear that we need to do more. We must re-evaluate how and what we are teaching, says Lotta Fröjdfeldt.

The course is based on four different topics that are explored, discussed and developed in groups using problem-based learning. Lastly, there will be a subject that summarises the course. The current subjects are:

  • Connecting to the world and each other
  • Competencies, frameworks and curriculum for teaching for sustainability
  • Didactic approaches to teaching and learning in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development)
  • The role of the university
  • Lessons learned and future practice

The teachers on the course guide you through it. In addition, international researchers are invited to webinars. The course and the organising group will be expanded continually.

Participating in the HEDS course is a really exciting experience; it offers me the opportunity to engage and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds in a multi-disciplinary team, where we together, work towards a common goal of fostering sustainable development in higher education, says Hao Chen, Researcher and Teacher in Sustainable Energy Systems at MDU and who has just completed the course.

The course has already had participants from Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Brazil, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The objective is that it will be held every spring semester at MDU and internationally. Lotta Fröjdfeldt hopes that the interest for the course continues to grow.

What is the purpose of higher education? Is it just to get a job? Or is it something that will help to create a sustainable future? A clearer picture is needed about how we can help one another to do this. The expertise required for a sustainable future is in line with other needs such as lifelong learning, agency, cooperation, internationalisation and innovative education, says Lotta.

Education for sustainable development

The increased interest surrounding education for sustainable development is noticed both at MDU and throughout the higher education sector at large. Within the Higher Educations’ Climate Network the focus group for Education for Sustainable Development works to create better conditions for teachers to integrate sustainability within their educations.

During the autumn there are several digital workshops focusing on strengthening the communities working with education for societal transformation and sustainability within higher education in Sweden.

More information about HEDS and the work of the Higher Educations’ Climate Network on the website of Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences External link.

Participating universities:

  • Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Karlstad University
  • Linköping University
  • Lund University
  • Mid Sweden University
  • Mälardalen University
  • Umeå University
  • Kristianstad University
  • Malmö University

More about the HEDS course

Course website: HEDS241 (Karlstads universitet) External link.

About Higher Education Teaching and Learninger

Higher Education Teaching and Learning at MDU External link.

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